Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu has had a meeting with the delegation of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), led by Antonio Gutiérrez Limones. The officials discussed Moldova’s reforms agenda, the country’s European path and the security challenges in the region. The sides also addressed the government’s measures to improve citizens’ living standards, as well as the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union on the first cluster – “Fundamental Values”.

The PM highlighted the role of the Council of Europe in strengthening democracy in Moldova and spoke about the priorities set for the upcoming period, which, in addition to attracting investment and fostering economic growth, include ambitious reforms in various fields. Among them, there is the reform of local public administration, which aims to build strong mayoralties and bring local authorities closer to citizens, with better services, larger teams and more development opportunities for each community.

For their part, the PACE co-rapporteurs praised the efforts of the Moldovan authorities in advancing reforms, strengthening state institutions and maintaining a firm commitment to the European path of Moldova.

The officials also exchanged opinions on the challenges to democracy and on Moldova’s experience in combating disinformation, the illegal financing of election campaigns and attempts to influence the vote through voters’ corruption.

Prepaid SIM and eSIM cards will only be able to be activated by confirming the user’s identity on the basis of an identity document. At the same time, this measure does not limit citizens’ access to mobile phone services – the sale of SIM cards will remain unrestricted. The decision was approved today by the Government in order to prevent fraud, scams, and other abuses committed through the anonymous use of phone numbers.

“In recent years, crimes affecting citizens have increasingly moved into the digital space and anonymous communications, with these platforms becoming tools used for fraud, scams, and false calls. Older people, citizens in vulnerable situations, and families put under pressure through fabricated scenarios are particularly targeted, often ending up transferring money to criminals. Today, a prepaid card can be activated without identity confirmation, and this anonymity is used in illegal activities and makes it harder to identify the perpetrators,” said Minister of Internal Affairs Daniella Misail-Nichitin.

The process of identifying users of mobile telephony cards will be possible both at sales points of operators or authorized persons, and through remote digital methods, such as electronic signatures, electronic identification means, or digital identity verification processes.

At the same time, safeguards are provided for the protection of personal data. The new rules do not allow access to the content of calls, messages, or location data. Only the data necessary for identifying the user will be collected.

The new provisions will apply only to numbers activated after the amendments to the Electronic Communications Law enter into force. Users who already have active prepaid cards will not be required to re-register them.

A period of 12 months is provided for the implementation of the project, so that operators can adapt their systems and internal procedures.

Currently, prepaid cards can be activated without identifying the person using them. This allows the anonymous use of phone numbers and creates vulnerabilities for public security.

Anonymous numbers are frequently used in telephone and computer fraud, scams, abusive calls, and false bomb threats, and the lack of identification data makes it difficult to determine the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

The Government has approved the organization and implementation of Cycle I of the National Forest Inventory, a process through which the Republic of Moldova will have, for the first time, a clear and up‑to‑date picture of the state of the country’s forests.

The inventory will show what forest resources our country has, what condition the forests are in, how they evolve over time, and what measures are needed for their protection and sustainable management.

At present, data on forests come from different sources and do not always provide a complete national‑level overview. Through the new inventory, the authorities will be able to make decisions based on real, verified and comparable data, rather than on fragmented information.

The process will include collecting data in the field, verifying and processing it, as well as publishing the results. The information obtained will be used to develop environmental and forestry policies, measures for adapting to climate change, biodiversity conservation, and for national, European and international reporting.

“This is the first forest inventory in the history of our country. The data will be digitized and will be directly accessible to citizens. The process will take place over a period of 5 years. The total cost will be 2.4 million euros, of which 1.6 million will be provided as a grant by the Government of Romania,” Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder said.

The Ministry of Environment will coordinate the implementation of the National Forest Inventory, while the technical work will be carried out by the Institute for Forestry Research and Management.

Cycle I of the National Forest Inventory will be conducted during the period 2026–2030 and represents an important step towards a fairer, more transparent and more responsible management of the forests of the Republic of Moldova.

Citizens and business community will benefit from a safer financial system that is better protected against illegal schemes. Government has approved the strengthening of the framework for preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing, so that the responsible authorities can identify risks more quickly and intervene more effectively.

The new measures aim at better training for the persons responsible for checking suspicious transactions, financial flows and sector-specific risks. In this regard, a training certificate in preventing money laundering and terrorist financing will be introduced.

Thus, the training of specialists will no longer differ from one institution to another, but will instead follow clear and uniform rules. Responsible persons will be trained according to the same standards, which will contribute to a more effective application of the law.

In addition, the Money Laundering Prevention and Combating Service (SPCSB) will have a clearer role in training and guiding the institutions that are obliged to report suspicious activities. The Service will be able to organize training sessions, develop practical materials and coordinate a national training platform.

The draft also provides for the establishment of the position of financial intelligence officer within the SPCSB. At the same time, adjustments will be made to the internal organization of the Service so that the institution operates more efficiently and fulfills its role of preventing and combating money laundering and terrorist financing more effectively.

“It is necessary for the SPCSB to have clear instruments, specialized personnel and the capacity to intervene. The SPCSB is becoming the main center of expertise and coordination in this field. These changes are necessary for the Republic of Moldova to build a functional, credible system capable of effectively preventing the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing,” Minister of Justice Vladislav Cojuhari said.

Government has approved the allocation of over 1.8 million lei for compensating the value of property confiscated during political repressions. A draft decision to this effect was approved at today’s cabinet meeting.

The financial resources will be distributed based on the decisions of special commissions and the requests of local public authorities, for the payment of compensation to six individuals. The funds will be allocated to the municipal councils of Bălți and Chișinău, as well as to the district councils of Călărași, Dondușeni, Dubăsari and Râșcani.

According to the legislation, persons who were subjected to political repression and subsequently rehabilitated, as well as their heirs, are entitled to the restitution of confiscated property. In cases where the property can no longer be returned, the state provides financial compensation.

The state budget for 2026 includes resources amounting to 4.9 million lei for the payment of compensation to victims of political repression.